The DoJ has charged 31 individuals in a massive nationwide ATM jackpotting scam, with some allegedly linked to the Tren de Aragua gang. Find out how investigators stopped this high-tech heist.
A massive international crime ring that allegedly used high-tech tricks to rob cash machines across America has been stopped. Recently, a federal grand jury in Nebraska charged 31 more people, bringing the total number of suspects to 87. This follows a major crackdown involving a coordinated effort by Joint Task Force Vulcan and local police departments nationwide.
These individuals are accused of ATM jackpotting, a crime where malware is used to issue unauthorised commands to an ATM’s dispensing module, forcing it to release vast amounts of cash on demand.
“In the past six months, the Justice Department has charged a total of 87 TdA members and leaders with a range of federal offenses that include material support to a designated foreign terror organisation, bank burglary, money laundering, damage and unauthorised access to protected computers, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit the same offenses,” the US Department of Justice (DoJ) stated in a press release.
Many of those involved are from Venezuela and Colombia, and they allegedly belong to a group called Tren de Aragua (TdA). While TdA started as a Venezuelan prison gang, it has grown into a dangerous international terrorist organisation.
According to investigators from the FBI and Homeland Security, the group reportedly uses millions stolen from these machines to fund violent crimes like kidnapping and human trafficking.
How the Scam Worked
The group allegedly used a computer malware called Ploutus, active since 2015, to steal funds. Investigation by a dedicated team of FBI Omaha agents and the Homeland Security Task Force revealed that the gangs would drive to banks in groups to scout the area first.
Members would even crack open a machine’s outer door and hide nearby to see if the police showed up. If no one arrived, they would plug in a laptop or thumb drive to take control of the computer.
Millions Stolen from Banks
It is worth noting that this was not just happening in one town. The DoJ confirms this was a “nationwide conspiracy” that generated “millions in illegal proceeds” from banks and credit unions across the country. However, the money was taken directly from the machines’ internal supply and not from customers’ personal savings.
These kinds of attacks on ATMs and subsequent convictions are becoming more common. Last week, Hackread.com reported on a separate yet similar case where Venezuelan nationals Luz Granados and Johan Gonzalez-Jimenez were convicted for ATM jackpotting across South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. In that case, too, investigated by the US Secret Service, personal accounts were not at risk.
A Warning to Criminal Networks
This latest indictment follows a steady wave of legal action; 22 people were previously charged on 9 December 2025, and another 32 were charged on 21 October 2025.
While the legal process is ongoing, the stakes are high; if found guilty, some defendants face prison terms ranging from 20 to 335 years. Attorney General Pamela Bondi called the group a “complex terrorist organisation” and promised to keep working to put them behind bars.